Our Mission

The Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood Development (PHENND) is a consortium of over 30 colleges and universities in the greater Philadelphia area. PHENND works to build the capacity of its member institutions to develop mutually beneficial, sustained, and democratic community-based service-learning partnerships. The consortium actively seeks to revitalize local communities and schools and foster civic responsibility among the region’s colleges and universities.

Higher educational institutions can function as permanent anchors and partners for community improvement. Moreover it is deeply in their interests to do so; their futures are intertwined with that of their neighborhoods. PHENND provides a vehicle for coordinating and, where appropriate, combining the efforts of higher eds so that they can make a significant contribution to improving the entire Philadelphia region.